Wagon with adapter for installing child seat

ABSTRACT

A seat adapter removably mounts a child seat to a wagon having two opposing walls and an interposed connecting wall, and includes two latch components that mount to the wagon&#39;s opposing walls. In some embodiments, the seat adapter includes a cross-member extending between the latch components so that the cross-member provides structural integrity to the wagon if the connecting wall is displaced from its upright use position. In some embodiments, the seat adapter and the child seat can be mounted to the wagon for use with the connecting wall in its upright use position, and in some embodiments the seat adapter and the child seat can be mounted to the wagon for use whether the connecting wall is in its upright use position or its displaced position, with no mechanical interference between any part of the wagon and any part of the adapter or the child seat mounted to it.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Non-Provisionalpatent application Ser. No. 14/750,344 filed on Jun. 25, 2015, whichclaims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 62/030,284 filed Jul. 29, 2014, which are hereby incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to consumer-use wagons, andparticularly to such wagons for multi-purpose use including carryingseated children and carrying other household cargo.

BACKGROUND

Conventional consumer-use wagons are commonly used for holding andcarrying cargo such as children, their toys, beach items (e.g., chairs,towels, and sand buckets/shovels), and sports equipment (e.g., balls,bats, and helmets). Such wagons typically include a generallyrectangular base and four generally rectangular upright walls forming anopen-topped container, with a pull handle pivotally coupled to the basefront, and with four wheels rotationally mounted to the base bottom. Atraditional and well-known wagon of this type is the classic RADIO FLYERwagon.

While these wagons have their advantages, they also have some drawbacks.For example, for use to carry children they are generally uncomfortablefor the carried children. To address this, some wagons are provided withbuilt-in child seats. But these wagons are not as well-suited forsmaller (infant or toddler) children or for other uses such as carryingbeach items, sports equipment, and/or toys.

Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for improved features forconsumer-use wagons for multi-purpose use. It is to the provision ofsolutions to these and other problems that the present invention isprimarily directed.

SUMMARY

Generally described, the present invention relates to a wagon thatincludes a base and a peripheral wall arrangement that together form acontainer for cargo. The peripheral wall arrangement includes at leastone pivot wall that pivots between an unfolded/upright use position anda folded/displaced storage position. A gang-operated latch system istypically provided for releasably securing the pivot wall to the twoadjacent walls. The latch system includes a latch component on eachrespective adjacent wall that, when the pivot wall is folded down out ofthe way, are operable to releasably engage with a cooperating latchcomponent of a child seat such as a car seat and/or a stroller seat, orof an adapter for the child seat. Such a seat adapter in turn includeslatch components for releasably securing the child seat. In this way,the pivot wall can be displaced from its upright use position and in itsplace can be provided seating for a child.

In other embodiments, a seat adapter for mounting a child seat to awagon includes two latch components that removably mount to two opposingwalls of the wagon's peripheral wall arrangement, which can include apivotal or fixed connecting wall interposed between the opposing walls.In some such embodiments, the seat adapter includes a cross-memberextending between the latch components so that the cross-member providesstructural integrity to the wagon if the connecting wall is displacedfrom its upright use position where it no longer functions as astructural element. And in some such embodiments, the seat adapter andthe child seat can be mounted to the wagon for use with the connectingwall in its upright use position, while in other such embodiments theseat adapter and the child seat can be mounted to the wagon for usewhether the connecting wall is in its upright use position or itsdisplaced position, in either case with no mechanical interferencebetween any part of the wagon and any part of the adapter or the childseat mounted to it.

In other aspects, the invention relates to a wagon that is adapted foruse with such a seat adapter, a seat adapter that is adapted for usewith such a wagon, and a child seat that is adapted for use with such awagon and/or such a seat adapter. And in other aspects, the inventionrelates to a method of seating a child in a wagon, including displacinga wall of the wagon and installing in its place a child seat mounted tothe wagon either directly or indirectly using a seat adapter.

The specific techniques and structures employed to improve over thedrawbacks of the prior devices and accomplish the advantages describedherein will become apparent from the following detailed description ofexample embodiments and the appended drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wagon according to a first exampleembodiment of the present invention, shown with its peripheral sidewallsand endwalls as well as its pull handle in an unfolded position for use.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the wagon of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the wagon of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the wagon of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows the wagon of FIG. 2 with its peripheral sidewalls andendwalls as well as its pull handle in a folded position for storage andtransport.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the wagon of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the wagon of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 shows the wagon of FIG. 1 with its front endwall folded downduring a step of a collapsing method.

FIG. 9 shows the wagon of FIG. 8 with its rear endwall folded downduring a further step of the collapsing method.

FIG. 10 shows the wagon of FIG. 9 with its right sidewall folded downduring a further step of the collapsing method.

FIG. 11 shows the wagon of FIG. 10 with its left sidewall folded downduring a further step of the collapsing method.

FIG. 12 shows the wagon of FIG. 10 with its pull handle folded down tocomplete the collapsing method.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the wagon of FIG. 1, showing covers ofits peripheral walls and including minor design variations.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a latch system for releasablysecuring the peripheral walls of the collapsible wagon of FIG. 1 in theuse position, showing the latch system in a locked position.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of the latch system of FIG. 14, shown inthe locked position securing the peripheral walls in the use position.

FIG. 16 shows the latch system of FIG. 14 in the unlocked positionreleasing the peripheral walls for pivoting to the stored position.

FIG. 17 is a detail schematic diagram of the latch system of FIG. 14,showing one of the endwalls being pivoted toward one of the sidewalls.

FIG. 18 shows the latch system of FIG. 17 with the pivoting endwallengaging and resiliently deflecting the sidewall.

FIG. 19 shows the latch system of FIG. 18 with the pivoted endwallreleasably locked to the deflected the sidewall.

FIG. 20 is a top view of a front portion of the wagon showing the latchsystem and the endwall in the pivoting position of FIG. 18.

FIG. 21 is an end view of the latch system and the endwall of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a wagon according to a second exampleembodiment, shown with its rear endwall folded down and with a seatadapter and an upright car seat mounted in its place.

FIG. 23 shows the wagon and seat adapter of FIG. 22, with the seatremoved to reveal details of the wagon and seat adapter, and without thelatch actuator for simplicity.

FIG. 24 is a rear end view of a lower portion of a latch systemreleasably securing the seat adapter to the wagon of FIG. 23.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the latch-system lower portiontaken at line 24-24 of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 is a rear-view schematic diagram of an upper portion of thelatch system releasably securing the seat adapter to the wagon and theseat of FIG. 22.

FIG. 27 is a top-view schematic diagram of the latch-system upperportion of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 shows the latch-system upper portion of FIG. 26, with the latchsystem operated to release the seat adapter from the wagon.

FIG. 29 shows the latch-system upper portion of FIG. 27, with the latchsystem operated to release the seat adapter from the wagon.

FIG. 30 shows the latch-system upper portion of FIG. 26, with the latchsystem operated to release the seat from the seat adapter.

FIG. 31 shows the latch-system upper portion of FIG. 27, with the latchsystem operated to release the seat from the seat adapter.

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a portion of a wagon according to athird example embodiment, shown with its rear endwall folded down and aseat adapter mounted in its place.

FIG. 33 is a side-view schematic diagram of a lower portion of a latchsystem releasably securing the seat to the wagon of FIG. 32, shown in anunlocked position.

FIG. 34 shows the latch-system lower portion of FIG. 33 in a lockedposition.

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a wagon according to a fourth exampleembodiment, shown with its rear endwall folded down and with a seatadapter and a stroller seat mounted in its place.

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of a portion of a wagon according to afifth example embodiment, shown with its rear endwall folded down andwith a seat adapter mounted in its place.

FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the wagon of FIG. 36, shown with aportion cut away, and showing a lower portion of a latch system forreleasably securing the seat adapter to the wagon.

FIG. 38 is a rear end view of the wagon of FIG. 37, in partial crosssection to better show the latch-system lower portion.

FIG. 39 is a perspective view of a portion of a wagon according to asixth example embodiment, shown with a portion cut away, and shown withits rear endwall folded down and with a seat adapter mounted in itsplace.

FIG. 40 is a detail side view, in partial cross section, of a lowerportion of a latch system releasably securing the seat adapter to thewagon of FIG. 39.

FIG. 41 is an end view of a wagon portion of the latch-system lowerportion of FIG. 40.

FIG. 42 is a perspective view of a portion of a wagon according to aseventh example embodiment, shown with its rear endwall folded down andwith a seat adapter mounted in its place.

FIG. 43 is a perspective of the seat adapter of FIG. 42.

FIG. 44 is a perspective view of a portion of a wagon according to aneighth example embodiment, shown with its rear endwall folded down andwith a stroller seat mounted in its place directly to the wagon withoutan interposd seat adapter.

FIG. 45 is a perspective view of a portion of a wagon according to aninth example embodiment, shown with its rear endwall folded down andwith a seat adapter and an infant carrier seat mounted in its place.

FIG. 46 is a perspective view of a portion of a wagon according to atenth example embodiment, shown with its rear endwall folded down andwith a storage container mounted in its place.

FIG. 47 is a perspective view of a seat adapter, according to aneleventh example embodiment, for mounting a child seat to a wagon.

FIG. 48 is a perspective view of the seat adapter of FIG. 47, shownmounted to a wagon whose rear wall is displaced from its upright useposition.

FIG. 49 is another perspective view of the seat adapter and wagon ofFIG. 48, showing a child seat mounted to the wagon by the seat adapter.

FIG. 50 is a side view of the seat adapter, wagon, and child seat ofFIG. 49.

FIG. 51 is a perspective view of a seat adapter, according to a twelfthexample embodiment, shown mounted to a wagon whose rear wall is in itsupright use position.

FIG. 52 is another perspective view of the seat adapter and wagon ofFIG. 51, showing a child seat mounted to the wagon by the adapter.

FIG. 53 is a side view of the seat adapter, wagon, and child seat ofFIG. 52.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Generally described, the present invention relates to wagons that are atleast partially collapsible by having at least one wall that isrepositionable between a folded storage position and an unfolded useposition. In typical commercial embodiments, the wagons are consumer-usewagons of the type commonly used for holding and carrying householdcargo such as children, toys, beach items (e.g., chairs, towels, andsand buckets/shovels), sports equipment (e.g., balls, bats, andhelmets), gardening/yard items (e.g., flowers, sod, trowels, andshovels), and do-it-yourself project items (e.g., for crafts, yard use,and home repairs). In other embodiments, the wagons are other types ofwheeled transport containers that a caretaker of a child would considerusing to carry the child.

Turning now to the drawings, FIGS. 1-21 show a consumer-use wagon 10according to a first example embodiment of the present invention. Thewagon 10 of this embodiment is detailed herein primarily to disclose anexample wagon that can be adapted and used with the child-seatingfeature described below.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1-4, the wagon 10 includes a base 12,two opposing upright sidewalls 14, two opposing upright endwalls 16, apull handle 18, and wheels 20. The sidewalls 14 and the endwalls 16extend upward (including bowed outward and not necessarily vertical)from the base 12 to cooperatively form an open-topped container for thecargo. The sidewalls 14 are typically longer than the endwalls 16 sothat the resulting container is generally rectangular (in plan view). Itshould be noted that the sidewalls 14 and the endwalls 16 are sometimesreferred to collectively herein as the peripheral walls 14/16 forconvenience.

In the depicted embodiment, the base 12, the sidewalls 14, and theendwalls 16 are all generally rectangular and made of lightweight andstrong plastic and metal, though in other embodiments they are providedin other shapes and/or made of composite or other materials, as iswell-known in the art. The pull handle 18 is pivotally coupled to thebase 12 at its front end so that it pivots between a folded storageposition and an unfolded use position for pulling the wagon 10. And thewheels 20 are rotationally mounted to the base at its bottom surface,for example four wheels can be provided for supporting and rolling thewagon 10 as depicted. These aspects of the basic underlying design ofthe wagon 10 are conventional and well-known, so further details are notprovided for brevity and clarity.

The base 12 of this embodiment includes a peripheral frame 22 thatsupports front and rear seat-pan panels 24, a footrest panel 26 betweenthe seat-pans, and front and rear seatback panels 28. The seat-pans 24,the footrest 26, and the seatbacks 28 cooperatively form seats forchildren to sit in when riding in the wagon 10. The base frame 22 can bemade of generally rectangular tubular metal (as depicted), solidrectangular bars or cylindrical rods, or other conventional structuralmembers. The footrest 26 can be supported by and suspended from theseat-pans 24 by support members (e.g., similar structural members) 30.In other embodiments, the wagon is provided without the seats, or theseats are removable.

The depicted seatbacks 28 are pivotally mounted to the base 12, forexample by conventional hinges to the seat-pans 24 as depicted, so thatthey pivot between a folded storage position generally flat against theseat-pans for compact storage and an unfolded use position generallyupright for supporting a child's back when seated on the respectiveseat-pan. In some embodiments, the seatbacks 28 are also coupled to theendwalls 16 so that they pivot together, and in such embodiments thepivotal mounting to the base 12 can be eliminated. Details of thepivoting of the endwalls 16 are described below.

In the depicted embodiment, the base 12 has fixed peripheral dimensions,that is, it does not fold or otherwise collapse into a smallerfootprint, that is, length and/or width (in plan views), or into ashorter height (in elevation views). In particular, the base frame 22typically is rigid for structural strength (it has fixed dimensions oflength and width as well as height) and does not include any hinges,pivots, swivels, or other joints that permit it to fold or otherwisecollapse into a smaller arrangement. In other embodiments, the baseframe includes such joints to permit folding into a compact arrangementfor storage.

In addition, the sidewalls 14 and the endwalls 16 of the depictedembodiment each include a respective support frame 32 and 34. Thesidewall frames 32 each include one or more (e.g., the depicted two)upper frame members 36 and the endwall frames 34 each include one ormore (e.g., the depicted one) upper frame member 38, with these upperframe members cooperating to define a peripheral frame extendingcontinuously about the wagon 10. And the sidewall frames 32 each includeone or more (e.g., the depicted two) connecting frame members 40 and theendwall frames 34 each include one or more (e.g., the depicted two)connecting frame members 42, with these connecting frame membersextending between the base frame 22 and their respective upper framemembers 36 and 38. As such, the connecting frame members 40 and 42extend generally upright, though not necessarily vertical, as can beseen by the steeply-sloped sidewall connecting frame members and thegently-sloped endwall connecting frame members of the depictedembodiment. The sidewall and endwall support frames 32 and 34 can bemade of generally rectangular tubular metal (as depicted), solidrectangular bars or cylindrical rods, or other conventional structuralmembers.

The sidewall connecting frame members 42 can be connected to therespective sidewall upper frame members 36 by a frame connector 44. Inthe depicted embodiment, with each sidewall frame 32 including two upperframe members 36 and two connecting frame members 42, the frame membersare positioned in a generally X-shaped arrangement. And the frameconnector 44 includes four connections arranged so that a front one ofthe sidewall upper frame members 36 is generally aligned with a rear oneof the sidewall connecting frame members 42, and a rear one of thesidewall upper frame members is generally aligned with a front one ofthe sidewall connecting frame members.

In other embodiments, a single continuous sidewall upper frame member isprovided and a single continuous sidewall connecting frame member isprovided, with bends for example in their middle portions, and with theframe connector connecting the two frame members together in the samegenerally X-shaped and aligned arrangement. And in still otherembodiments, the sidewall and/or endwall frames are provided in otherforms, for example each can be provided by a single frame member thatextends along and defines the wagon top and that bends downward at thecorners, thereby forming an inverted and wide U. It will be understoodthat other configurations of sidewall and/or endwall frames (e.g.,O-frames, H-frames, W-frames, M-frames, T-frames, V-frames, and thelike) can be selected by persons of ordinary skill in the art to providethe functionality described herein, and such other configurations arecontemplated by and within the scope of the invention.

Furthermore, the sidewalls 14 and the endwalls 16 of the depictedembodiment each include a respective cover 46 and 48 (see FIG. 13)mounted to and supported by their respective support frames 32 and 34.The covers 46 and 48 are typically not mounted to each other (or toother of the frame members) to permit them to pivot with theirrespective frame members, as described below. The covers 46 and 48 aretypically provided by sheets of a flexible material such as woven ornon-woven plastic, cotton, or a blend thereof. In other embodiments, theperipheral sidewalls and/or the endwalls include the frames but not thecovers, they include rigid wall panels without structural frame members,or they are provided by other conventional peripheral structural wallelements. It will be understood that the term “wall’ as used herein isintended to be broadly construed to include the depicted frames 32 and34, as well as other similar structures, with or without covers, and notjust solid one-piece panels. In addition, in some embodiments the base12 includes footrest side covers 47 for the areas under the base frameand above the footrest (see FIG. 13).

Referring additionally to FIGS. 5-12, the wagon 10 includes featuresthat permit the peripheral walls 14/16 to be pivotally repositionedbetween their unfolded use positions (FIGS. 1-4) and their foldedstorage positions (FIGS. 5-7 and 12). In particular, the wagon 10includes pivotal couplings 50 and 52 that pivotally mount the peripheralsidewalls 14 and endwalls 16, respectively, to the base 12, and agang-operated latch system 54 including latches 56 and actuators 58 forreleasably locking the peripheral walls in the use position. Forexample, the pivotal couplings 50 and 52 can be mounted to the frame 22of the base 12, as depicted, or to another part of the base such as theseat-pans 24. The pivotal couplings 50 and 52 and the latch system 54can be provided by conventional components known in the art (e.g.,pivot-pin couplings and snap-fit latches), or they can be provided byinnovative components described below.

The general operation of the pivotal couplings 50 and 52 and the latchsystem 54 to reposition the wagon 10 between the unfolded use positionand the folded storage position is shown in FIGS. 8-12. With the wagon10 in the use position of FIG. 1, one of the latch actuators 58 (e.g.,the depicted front one) is operated to actuate the respective latches 56from their locked positions to their unlocked positions in which therespective endwall 16 is released from securement in its use position.Then that endwall 16 is pivoted, about its pivotal coupling 52, downwardand inward to its storage position adjacent (against or almost against)the base 12, as shown in FIG. 8. Then the other latch actuator 58 (e.g.,the depicted rear one) is operated to actuate its latches 56 from theirlocked positions to their unlocked positions, and that endwall 16 isthen pivoted, about its pivotal coupling 52, downward and inward to itsstorage position adjacent the base 12, as shown in FIG. 9. Of course,both latch actuators 58 can be operated at the same time and/or bothendwalls 16 can be pivoted at the same time, if desired. And of coursethe sequence can be performed in the opposite order, first releasing therear endwall then the front one, if desired. In other embodiments, eachlatch includes a dedicated actuator or all latches are operated by asingle actuator.

Next, one of the released sidewalls 14 is pivoted, about its pivotalcoupling 50, downward and inward to its storage position adjacent thebase 12, as shown in FIG. 10. Then the other released sidewalls 14 ispivoted, about its pivotal coupling 50, downward and inward to itsstorage position adjacent the base 12, as shown in FIG. 11. In thedepicted embodiment, the latches 56 releasably secure the sidewalls 14and the endwalls together in the use position, so operating the latchactuators 58 releases the sidewalls to pivot and not just the endwalls.In other embodiments, the latches secure the sidewalls and the endwallsto the base, so separate actuators are operated to release thesidewalls. And in yet other embodiments, the actuators are mounted onthe sidewalls instead of the endwalls, for example at the front or rearends thereof for ease of joint operation.

Finally, the handle 18 is pivoted down to its storage position, as shownin of FIG. 12. The wagon 10 is now in a much more compact arrangementfor storage and transport, with its height (excluding the handle)reduced by about half in the embodiment shown. In some embodiments, ahandle-storage latch is provided to releasably secure the handle in itsstorage position, thereby also retaining the endwalls 16 and thesidewalls 14 (underneath the retained handled) in their storagepositions. And in some embodiments, the wheels 20 and/or the footrest 26are removable or foldable relative to the base 12 for furthercompactness, though details of such features are not provided herein forbrevity.

It should be noted that in the depicted embodiment the endwall pivotalcouplings 152 have pivot axes 153 positioned lower than (e.g.,subjacent) pivot axes 151 of the sidewall pivotal couplings 150 (seeFIGS. 1-2). This enables the endwalls 16 to be folded down generallyflat and the sidewalls 14 to then be folded down on top of them andstill be arranged generally flat for a compact configuration in thestorage position (see FIGS. 5-6). In other embodiments, this isreversed, with the sidewall pivots lower than the endwall pivots so theendwalls can fold generally flat over the sidewalls.

The pivotal couplings 50 and 52 can be of a conventional type or a newtype. For example the pivotal couplings 50 can be the “pinchless” typedisclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/444,380, filed Jul. 28,2014, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Typically, twoof the pivotal couplings 50 or 52 are provided for each correspondingsidewall 14 and endwall 16, though more or fewer can be used as may bedesired.

The pivotal couplings 50 each include an anchor 60 and a pivot 62 thatpivots relative to the anchor (see, e.g., FIG. 2). The anchor 60 isfixedly mounted to the base 12, for example it can be mounted to thebase frame member 22 by a bracket, or it can be mounted by a weld, astrap, bolts, pins, or another conventional mounting or fastener. Thepivot 62 is fixedly mounted to the respective sidewall 14, for exampleit can be mounted to the sidewall connecting frame member 40 by a weld,or it can be mounted by a strap, a bracket, bolts, pins, or anotherconventional mounting or fastener.

Referring additionally to FIGS. 14-21, details of the latch system 54 ofthe depicted embodiment will now be provided. The latch system 54 isinnovative in that it provides for quickly and easily releasing theperipheral walls 14/16 for folding to the storage position and itprovides for robustness and minimized loose play when the peripheralwalls are secured in the use position. In some embodiments, the basiclatch design is used without also including the minimized-play design.And in other embodiments, the minimized-play design is included with adifferent latch design.

In the depicted embodiment, the wagon 10 includes two latch systems 54,each including two latches 56 controlled by one actuator 58, and eachreleasably securing the ends of its respective endwall 16 to thecorresponding ends of the two sidewalls 14 in the use position. Thelatches 56 are typically located at upper portions 104 and 106 of thesidewalls 14 and endwalls 16, respectively, for example at the upperframe members 36 and 38, to provide strength to the peripheral wallswhen secured together in the use position. As such, the latches 56 aregenerally located at the four upper corners of the wagon 10 in theunfolded use position, in which each of the endwalls 16 is adjacent tothe two sidewalls 14 with the respective endwall upper portions 106adjacent the sidewall upper portions 104. Because the latches 56 couplethe sidewalls 14 to the adjacent endwalls 16, they each include twoparts, one latch component on the sidewall and the other cooperatinglatch component on the adjacent endwall.

As shown in FIGS. 14-16, the latches 56 each include a receiver latchcomponent 106 formed on one of the sidewalls 14 and a plunger latchcomponent 108 movably mounted to a corresponding one of the endwalls 16.For example, the receivers 106 can be located at opposite ends of eachof the endwall upper frame members 38, and the plungers 108 can belocated at opposite ends of each of the sidewall upper frame members 36.The plungers 108 move between a locked position (see FIGS. 14-15) and anunlocked position (see FIG. 16). In the locked position, with theperipheral walls 14/16 in their unfolded use position, the tips 110 ofthe plungers 108 are extended from their endwalls 16 and received intheir respective receivers 106 in a blocking-type retention fit. And inthe unlocked position, the plunger tips 110 are retracted relative totheir endwall 16 and thereby retracted from their respective receivers106 to release the peripheral walls 14/16 to fold to their storageposition. The endwalls 16 typically include an internal bore (e.g., whenprovided by tubular frame members) within which the plungers 16 areretracted to the unlocked position.

The plungers 108 are biased toward the locked position by springs 112.For example, the plunger springs 112 can each be provided by acompression coil spring retained between a bearing surface 114 of theplunger 108 and a bearing surface 116 of the endwall 16. In otherembodiments, other types of spring elements can be used, such astorsion, tension, or leaf springs, or other resiliently deformableelements.

In the depicted embodiment, the plunger latch components 108 are in theform of linearly reciprocating fingers and the receiver latch components106 are in the form of recesses that receive the tips of the fingers. Inother embodiments, the plunger latch components are in the form ofpivoting hooks and the receiver latch components are in the form oftransverse pins about which the hooks can pivotally lock. And in stillother embodiments, the two cooperating latch components are of otherconventional latch designs known and understood by persons of ordinaryskill in the art to provide the releasable securement functionalitydescribed herein.

The actuators 58 are operable to retract the respective plungers 108 totheir unlocked positions. The actuators 58 typically include one or more(e.g., the depicted two) bodies 118 each having a contact surface 120where the user contacts and applies a force to move the actuator bodyfrom a locked position (see FIGS. 14-15) to an unlocked position (seeFIG. 16), one or more (e.g., the depicted two) springs 122 that bias theactuator bodies to the locked position, and a housing 124 for theactuator bodies. A connection 126 interconnects the actuator body 118 tothe plunger 108, so that applying an operating force to the actuatorbody to move it from the locked position to the unlocked position causesthe plunger 108 to move from its locked position to its unlockedposition.

In the depicted embodiment, the actuator bodies 118 are pivotallymounted, for example to the actuator housing 124 (or to the endwall 14),so that they pivot between the locked and unlocked positions. In otherembodiments, the actuator bodies slide, rotate, or otherwise movebetween the locked and unlocked positions. In the depicted embodiment,the connection 126 between the actuator body 118 and the plunger 108 isa cable, for example a wire, cord, string, or other flexible elongatedelement. In other embodiments, the connection is in the form of a rigidrod, a mechanical linkage, or a gear-set. In the depicted embodiment,pivoting the actuator body 118 from the locked to the unlocked positiongenerates a pulling force on the connection 126. In other embodiments,moving the actuator body from the locked to the unlocked positiongenerates a pushing, rotary, or other force on the connection. In thedepicted embodiment, the actuator springs 122 are each provided by acompression coil spring retained between a bearing surface 128 of theactuator body 118 and a bearing surface 130 of the actuator housing 124.In other embodiments, other types of spring elements can be used, suchas torsion, tension, or leaf springs, or other resiliently deformableelements. In the depicted embodiment, the actuator 58 includes twoactuator bodies 118 and two actuator springs 122, one set for eachrespective one of the plungers 108. In other embodiments, the actuatorincludes one actuator body and one actuator spring for unlocking bothplungers.

In use, as shown in FIG. 16, operating forces can be applied (asindicated by the two inner directional arrows) to the actuator bodies118 to pivot them from their locked to their unlocked positions, whichcauses the plungers 108 to retract (as indicated by the two outerdirectional arrows) from their locked to their unlocked positions. Inthis way, each of the actuators 58 can be operated by one hand of a user(e.g., by wrapping a hand around the actuator housing 124, with thethumb on one actuator body and one or more of the other fingers on theother actuator body, then squeezing) to release its endwall 16 from itssidewall 14 in the use position so the walls can then be folded down tothe storage position.

Referring additionally to FIGS. 17-21, details of the minimized-playfeature of the latch system 54 of the depicted embodiment will now beprovided. The latch end 132 of a sidewall 14 and the latch end 134 of anadjacent endwall 16 have interfering positions (in conflict because oftheir physical inability to occupy the same space) when the peripheralwalls are in the unfolded use position. But at least one of theperipheral walls includes a ramped surface 136 along which the otherperipheral wall rides immediately before it reaches the unfolded useposition, and at least one of the peripheral walls resiliently displacesoutward (out of its interfering position) under outward forces generatedby the ramp being ridden across, thereby providing clearance for thepivoting wall to reach its use position.

In the depicted embodiment, there are cooperating ramped surfaces 136 onboth the sidewall latch end 132 and the endwall latch end 134. In otherembodiments, only the sidewall latch end or the endwall latch endincludes a displacement ramp. In the depicted embodiment, the sidewallupper frame member 36 deflects outward, and as such has a sufficientlength (between its latch end 132 and the frame connector 44) and ismade of a material (e.g., with sufficient elastic deformationproperties) selected to permit this resilient displacement. In otherembodiments, the sidewall includes a spring-biased joint that permitsthis resilient displacement and a stop member to preventover-displacement. In the depicted embodiment, the sidewall latch end132 displaces slightly, typically less than about 1/10 inch, though inother embodiments the peripheral wall displacement can be greater orlesser.

In use, FIG. 17 shows the endwall 16 pivoting up and approaching itsupright use position (as indicated by the directional arrow). FIG. 18shows the endwall 16 further pivoting (as indicated by the correspondingdirectional arrow) to where it comes into contact with the sidewall 14(in its neutral interfering position), causing the cam-like ramps 136 ofthe two walls to ride along each other, which in turn pushes outward onand thereby causes the sidewall to displace outward (as indicated by thecorresponding directional arrow) for clearance (see also FIG. 20). Atthe same time, the sidewall ramp 136 pushes (as indicated by thecorresponding directional arrow of FIG. 18) the plunger 108 into theunlocked position for clearance. Now the sidewall latch end 132 and theendwall latch end 134 are no longer in interfering positions, and FIG.19 shows the endwall 16 further pivoted (as indicated by thecorresponding directional arrow) into its use position, with the plunger108 resiliently returning to its locked position (as indicated by thecorresponding directional arrow) (see also FIG. 21).

Because in the use position the sidewall 14 is under a slight shearstress from and deflected slightly outward by the endwall 16, it storesa charge such that its latch end 132 applies a compression force on theendwall. In this way, there is no “play” in the system, that is, thesidewall 14 and adjacent endwall 16 are connected by a fit that ispressured tight (not loose, no slack or excess space between them) sothe sidewall and endwall are held tightly together and cannot wigglerelative to each other.

After use of the wagon 10, the actuator 58 can be operated to releasethe endwall 16, then the endwall can be folded down out of its useposition. The reverse displacement process then occurs, with thesidewall 14 resiliently returning to its neutral inward interferingposition.

In addition, the sidewall latch end 132 can include a stop member 138that limits the adjacent endwall latch end 134 from pivoting past itsuse position (see FIG. 32). In the depicted embodiment, for example, thesidewall latch end 132 includes a stop member 138 in the form of alaterally extending wall against which the adjacent endwall latch end134 abuts in its use position to limit further travel. In otherembodiments, the stop member 138 can be in the form of a laterallyextending pin or other protrusion.

Furthermore, the sidewall latch end 132 and the endwall latch end 134can include lateral retainers 140 and 142, respectively. The lateralretainers 140 and 142 hold the sidewall 14 and the endwall 16 fromlateral outward displacement from their use positions (the latch system54 holds them from pivoting beyond their use positions). In the depictedembodiment, for example, the sidewall retainer 140 is in the form of atleast one retainer wall extending transversely from the sidewall latchend 132 (e.g., extending transversely from the outer-positioned sidewallstop member 138), thereby defining a retainer opening 144. The sidewallretainer can additionally or alternatively include one or more retainerwalls extending from the top and/or bottom of the sidewall latch end132, as depicted. And the endwall retainer 142 is in the form of atleast one retainer wall extending transversely from a neck 146 thatextends longitudinally from the endwall latch end 134, thereby defininga retainer opening 148. In other embodiments, the retainers 140 and 142are in the form of transversely extending pins or other protrusions.

With the sidewall 14 and the endwall 16 in their use positions, theendwall retainer 142 is positioned behind the sidewall retainer 140 andthus received in the sidewall retainer opening 144 (see FIG. 32). Andthe sidewall retainer 140 is positioned behind the endwall retainer 142and thus received in the endwall retainer opening 148. In this way, thelateral retainers 140 and 142 hold the sidewall 14 and the endwall 16from lateral displacement outward in their use positions, as therespective mechanical stops prevent further pivoting but not necessarydeflection.

Referring now to FIGS. 22-31, there is shown a wagon 1010 with aninnovative child-seating feature according to a second exampleembodiment of the invention. This child-seating feature can be includedin a wagon 10 with four walls 14/16 that all collapse down, as depictedin FIGS. 1-22, or in a wagon with only one peripheral wall that foldsdowns, typically (but not necessarily) the rear endwall for stabilityoverall and for seat clearance from the wagon handle. Similarly, thischild-seating feature can be included in a wagon 10 with a gang-operatedlatch system 54, as depicted in FIGS. 1-22, with or without aminimized-play feature, or in a wagon with wall latches that areindividually-operated (not group-operated) and/or that include anotherdesign such as rotary latches, pivot latches, twist/screw latches, slidelatches, or other conventional latch systems known in the art. As such,the wagon can be for example of any of the types disclosed in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/444,380, filed Jul. 28, 2014, which hasbeen incorporated herein by reference.

Before getting into details of the child-seating feature, some contextwill be provided to highlight some of its advantages. Children developin three primary sequential phases: infant, toddler, and child.Conventional wagons generally serve the larger “child” phase well inthat the child can climb in and out easily with little restriction, butthey typically don't have restraints (e.g., belts or harnesses) of anytype. Strollers generally handle the smaller “infant” and “toddler”phases well as they typically include a stroller seat (removable ornon-removable) for a toddler and/or connections for interchangeablymounting an infant carrier (of a car-seat system), with such strollerswith interchangeable seats known as “travel systems”.

The innovative design of the wagon 1010 in preferred embodiments allowscaretakers to cover all three phases of a child's growth by allowingthem to mount a seat adapter 1160 to the wagon (e.g., to the base frame1022 and/or sidewall frame 1032), into which they can mount an uprightcar seat 1162 or an infant carrier seat (aka a car seat). Also, thecaretaker can detach and remove a stroller child seat from astroller/travel system (not shown) and mount it to the seat adapter 1160mounted to the wagon 1010, which serves the toddler age well (theyaren't infants, but still aren't quite capable of sitting up aseffectively as needed in a traditional wagon). Thus, the seat adapter1160 enables interchangeable use of the infant carrier seat, the uprightchild seat, and the stroller seat with the wagon 1010. And of course thewagon 1010 (e.g., with built-in seats) can be used as normal forcarrying a child older/larger than an infant or toddler. In someembodiments, the wagon can be reconfigured for mounting only one ofthese types of child seats, not multiple of them interchangeably. (Notethat as used elsewhere herein, the term “child” is intended to bebroadly construed to include infants and toddlers.)

In addition, the wagon 1010 and the seat adapter 1160 are designed sothat the entire seat-pan 1161 (and typically the center of gravity) ofthe child seat (upright car seat, infant-carrier seat, or stroller seat)is positioned below the top of the two adjacent peripheral walls1014/1016. As depicted, the bottom surface of the child seat 1162 ispositioned atop (suspended just above, or supported/resting on) the base1012 of the wagon 1010, with the top surface of the seat-pan 1161positioned well below the tops of the sidewall upper frame members 1036of the two adjacent peripheral sidewalls 1014. This lowers the center ofgravity (relative to positioning the child seat on top of the peripheralwalls) and thereby improves the stability and safety of the child-seatmounting. And with the car seat 1162 securely mounted to the seatadapter 1160, it is much more stable than if it were simply placed intothe wagon 1010 resting on the base 1012 (e.g., resting on the rearsurface of the corresponding built-in seatback 1028 that is folded downto generally horizontal in the storage position, as depicted in FIGS.22-23). It should be noted that in some alternative embodiments of theinvention the seat adapter positions and mounts the child seat above theperipheral walls of the wagon, as may be desired.

Furthermore, the wagon 1010 and the seat adapter 1160 are preferablydesigned so that the child seat 1162 is mounted securely in place atleast partially over the base 1012 of the wagon and at least partiallyextending beyond the wagon base (e.g., at its front or rear). That is, aportion of the child seat 1162 extends laterally beyond the footprint ofthe wagon base 1012 and peripheral walls 1014/1016 (i.e., beyond theouter boundaries of the container defined by the base and peripheralwalls) in an outboard configuration. As depicted in FIG. 22, forexample, the upright seatback 1163 of the child seat 1162 extendsrearward off the wagon base 1012 (although the seatback is inclinedupward, it's also inclined rearward). This is accomplished in part bydisplacing (e.g., folding down or removing, collapsing (accordion-like,rolling, etc.), or otherwise displacing) one of the peripheral walls(e.g., the depicted rear endwall 1016) and in the vacated space placingthe child seat 1162. In this way, the child seat 1162 is securelymounted in place but in such a way as to minimize/reduce the space itoccupies inside the wagon 1010, thereby permitting more cargo to becarried by the wagon. This also permits the opposite (e.g., front)built-in seat of so-equipped wagons 1010 to be used (e.g., for a largerchild) at the same time as the car seat 1162 (if the car seat weremerely resting atop the built-in rear seat-pan within the base/wallboundary of a conventionally-sized wagon, the built-in front seat wouldbe generally blocked from use). It should be noted that in somealternative embodiments of the invention the seat adapter positions andmounts the child seat entirely within the base/wall boundary of thewagon, for example still using the wall-to-wall latches that thedisplaced wall was attached to, as may be desired.

Moreover, the wagon 1010 and the seat adapter 1160 are preferablydesigned so that with the designated wall (e.g., the depicted rearendwall 1016) displaced (e.g., folded down, or removed, collapsed, orotherwise displaced for so-equipped wagons) from its upright useposition and the seat adapter in its vacated place, the seat adaptermounts to the two existing wall-to-wall latch components of the twoadjacent walls (e.g., the depicted sidewalls 1014). This maintains thestructural integrity of the wagon 1010 so that the strength andstability of the wagon are not compromised when the seat adapter 1160and child seat 1162 are being used. This also minimizes the additionalnumber of latching elements needed, and by engaging the existing latchcomponents prevents them from rattling during use of the wagon. Itshould be noted that in some alternative embodiments of the invention,at least one of the seat-adapter latch components is a “dummy” latchwith no latching capability but that simply abuts the respectivesidewall latch component to provide the structural integrity. Similarly,in other alternative embodiments, at least one of the child-seat latchcomponents is a “dummy” latch with no latching capability but thatsimply abuts the respective sidewall latch component to provide thestructural integrity.

Turning now to the details, FIGS. 22-31 show the wagon 1010 and the seatadapter 1160 in use with the child seat 1162. The wagon 1010 of thisembodiment is substantially the same as the wagon 10 of the previousembodiment, with some minor modifications, and with the child-seatingfeature added. It should be noted that the depicted wagon 1010 isrepresentative and disclosed for illustrating the child-seating feature.In fact, the innovative child-seating feature can be implemented inwagons of other types and designs than that disclosed. So the scope ofthe child-seating feature is not limited to any particular style ofwagon, other than the basic base-and-wall structural arrangement with atleast one of the walls displaceable as defined in the claims.

The depicted child seat 1162 is an upright seat that attaches to asupport base (not shown) of a car-seat system for carrying a childsafely and securely in a motor vehicle. The support base mounts onto therear seat of the vehicle car and can be left there indefinitely, and thecar seat 1162 removably mounts onto the support base in the vehicle. Sothe car seat 1162 can be removed from the support base, and thus fromthe vehicle, and used in a portable fashion as an infant carrier. Andwhen desired, the car seat 1162 can be mounted to the seat adapter 1160,which is mounted to the wagon 1010, for carrying the child in the wagon.

The seat adapter 1160 includes elements of at least one latch system1170 for connecting it to the wagon 1010 and at least one latch system1180 for connecting it to the child seat 1162. The adapter-to-wagonlatch system 1170 includes at least one latching component 1172 thatmoves between locked and unlocked positions and an actuator 1174 formanipulating the latch component between the locked and unlockedpositions. In the depicted embodiment, there are two latching components1172 each in the form of a plunger that engages and disengages (extendsinto and retracts from) a respective one of the receiver latchingcomponents 1106 of the two adjacent sidewalls 1014. The actuator 1174 isoperable to gang-operate both latch components 1172 from their lockedpositions to their unlocked positions, for example against the force ofa spring that biases the latch components toward their locked positions,and for example by way of a connector 1176 extending between theactuator and the latch components and routed through or along aconnecting member 1190 extending between the two adjacent walls 1014, towhich the actuator 1174 is mounted, and relative to which the latchingcomponents 1172 extend and retract.

As such, the adapter/wagon latch system 1170 of the depicted embodimentis of the same basic design, construction, and operation as thewall-to-wall latch system 54 of the previous embodiment. Details of thecomponents and operation of the adapter/wagon latch system 1170, in thisimplementation, are shown in FIGS. 26-29. So for the sake of brevity,further details are not repeated. The adapter/wagon latch system 1170disclosed is representative for illustration purposes only, and personsof ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many other latchsystems, having other designs, construction, and operation, can bereadily substituted into the seat adapter 1160 and wagon 1010. Suchalternative latch systems can include, for example, conventionalpivotal, rotary, hooking, multi-prong, and other latches. Other examplelatch systems that can be used include those disclosed by U.S. PatentApplication Publications Nos. US2011/0170948, US2012/0056452, andUS2012/0261961, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

A nice feature of the adapter/wagon latch system 1170 of the depictedembodiment is that the seat adapter 1160 connects to the wagon 1010using the existing receiver latching components 1106 of the existing thewall latch system 54. In this way, additional components are not neededto provide the functionality described herein. And because the positionand design of the existing receiver latching components 1106 of theexisting the wall latch system 54 provide for structural strength of thewagon peripheral walls 1014/1016 when latched together, mounting theseat adapter 1160 to them and between the two adjacent walls maintainsthe structural integrity of the wagon 1010 when the wall is displacedand the seat adapter is installed in its place.

The adapter-to-seat latch system 1180 of the seat adapter 1160 includesat least one latching component 1182 that moves between locked andunlocked positions and an actuator 1184 for manipulating the latchcomponent between the locked and unlocked positions. In the depictedembodiment, there are two latching components 1182 each in the form of aplunger that engages and disengages (extends into and retracts) from arespective one of two receiver latching components 1164 on the seat back1163 (e.g., on the two outwardly facing sides of the shell of theseatback) of the child seat 1162. The actuator 1184 is operable togang-operate both latch components 1182 from their locked positions totheir unlocked positions, for example against the force of a spring thatbiases the latch components toward their locked positions, and forexample by way of a connector 1186 extending between the actuator andthe latch components and routed through or along the connecting member1190 extending between the two adjacent walls 1014, to which theactuator 1184 is mounted, and relative to which the latching components1182 extend and retract.

As such, the adapter/seat latch system 1180 of the depicted embodimentis of the same basic design, construction, and operation as the walllatch system 54 of the previous embodiment. Details of the componentsand operation of the adapter/seat latch system 1180 (including thecooperating latch components 1164 of the child seat 1162), in thisimplementation, are shown in FIGS. 26-27 and 30-31. So for the sake ofbrevity, further details are not repeated. The adapter/seat latch system1180 disclosed is representative for illustration purposes only, andpersons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many otherlatch systems (including the cooperating latch components of the childseat), having other designs, construction, and operation, can be readilysubstituted into the seat adapter 1160 and wagon 1010. Such alternativelatch systems can include, for example, conventional pivotal, rotary,hooking, multi-prong, and other latches. Other example latch systemsthat can be used include those disclosed by U.S. Patent ApplicationPublications Nos. US2011/0170948, US2012/0056452, and US2012/0261961,which are incorporated herein by reference.

The adapter/seat latch system 1180 of the seat adapter 1160 can beconfigured to secure the child seat 1162 to the seat adapter 1160 byengaging existing (for engaging the car-seat support base) orspecially-added latch components 1164 of the child seat. In embodimentswith specially-added child-seat latch components 1164, in particular,the child seat 1162 can be provided together with the seat adapter 1160and/or the wagon 1010 as a system.

The connecting member 1190 extends between the two adjacent walls 1014,can have the actuators 1174 and 1184 mounted to it, and has the latchingcomponents 1172 and 1182 extend from and retract into it at hubs 1192 ofthe connecting member. The connecting member 1190 can be in the form ofa frame member (e.g., a rod, as depicted), a panel, a cage orlatticework, or another structure that provides structural strength whenconnected between the two adjacent walls 1014 of the wagon 1010.

In addition, the connecting member 1190 typically includes two extensionsegments 1190 a that extend longitudinally outward (e.g., rearward) tobeyond the peripheral walls 1014/1016 and base 1012 of the wagon 1010,and an outer (e.g., rear) retaining cross segment 1190 b extendingtransversely between the extension segments. The retaining cross segment1190 b is thus positioned outwardly beyond (e.g., behind) thefootprint/boundary of the wagon 1010 and outwardly beyond (e.g., behind)the child seat 1162, thus providing an outer safety mechanical stopagainst which the child-seat seatback 1163 prevented from sliding pastto retain the child seat on the wagon, while enabling the child seat toextend beyond the wall-and-base boundary of the wagon to minimize thespace within the wagon that the child seat occupies. This arrangementalso positions the actuators 1174 and 1184 behind the child seat 1162when it is installed facing forward and where the displaced rear endwall1016 was, so the child cannot reach the actuators and unlock eithercorresponding latch system 1170 or 1180.

As an additional safety element, the seat adapter 1160 can include aninner (e.g., front) transverse bumper 1194 in a position inward (e.g.,forward) of the outer connecting member 1190 to cooperatively frame thechild seat 1162 thereby assisting in retaining it on the wagon 1010. Inthe depicted embodiment, for example, the bumper 1194 is in the form ofa rod that extends between the hubs 1192 and is configured so that it'spositioned inward (e.g., in front) of the child seat 1162 when the childseat is mounted in place for use, spaced-apart from and cooperating withthe connecting member 1190 to form a closed loop. In this way, thebumper 1194 helps retain the child in the child seat 1162 and alsoprovides added structural strength to the seat adapter 1160 and wagon1010. In other embodiments, the bumper extends from only one side (itdoes not extend all the way across the wagon between the walls), it'spivotal for ease of getting the child into and out of the installedchild seat 1162, it's padded for comfort and safety, it includes a trayfor holding children's items, and/or it has another form such as a bar,plate, or other conventional bumper or retaining member.

And as a further safety element, the seat adapter 1160 can include twoupright supports 1196 extending downward from the connecting member1190, for example at the laterally-spaced hubs 1192, for mounting to thebase 1012 of the wagon 1010 for increased structural strength. Theupright supports 1196 can be in the form of legs (e.g., the depictedbars), walls, frameworks, or other conventional structural elementsselected to support the weight of the seat adapter 1160, the child seat1162, and a child. The upright supports 1196 each include an upperportion that is conventionally attached to or integrally formed with therespective hub 1192.

The upright supports 1196 can be removably mounted to the wagon base1012 by conventional connections. In the depicted embodiment, forexample, the connections 1210 are provided by the two pivot pins 1200for the pivotally folding seatback 1028 each being extended laterallylonger than what is needed for only the respective pivot-pin housing1202 of the seatback (i.e., relative to the previous embodiment), withone of the pivot mounts 1204 and 1206 for each pivot pin positionedwider to expose the added pivot-pin length for use. And the uprightsupports 1196 each include a slot 1198 formed in a lower portion thatreceives the respective pivot pin 1200. In this way, to install the seatadapter 1160 for use, the slots 1198 of the upright supports 1196 areslid onto the pivot pins 1200, then the top of the seat adapter ispivoted forward about the pivot pins until the latch components 1172 ofthe seat adapter engage the latch components 1106 of the sidewalls 1014.In other embodiments, the upright supports 1196 are removably mounted tothe wagon base 1012 by other conventional connections such as thosedisclosed herein as other embodiments.

In addition, the connection slot 1198 is preferably oriented so thatit's not aligned along an arc defined by a fixation point of theadapter/wagon latch system 1170. In this way, with the seat adapter 1160latched to the wagon 1010 by the adapter/wagon latch system 1170, evenif the adapter/wagon latch system does not strictly prohibit pivotalmovement, the slot 1198 cannot travel off of the pivot pin 1200. So thisconnection 1210 passively locks the upright support 1196 to the wagon1010, that is, it does not have an active latching component that movesbetween locked and unlocked positions, but instead preventsdisconnection by being held in place by the adapter/wagon latch system1170 being in its locked position (and providing for active locking ofthe seat adapter to the wagon. With this design, only one set ofattachments—the adapter/wagon latch system 1170—needs to be operated toremove the seat adapter 1160 from the wagon 1010, while still providingtwo sets of attachments for added stability and safety.

In other embodiments, instead of two pivot pins, one on each side of thewagon base, a single longer pivot pin extends across the wagon longenough for mounting both upright supports. And in other embodiments, thepin-and-slot arrangement is reversed (vice versa), with the uprightsupport including the pin and the wagon (typically, the base) includingthe slot.

In still other embodiments, the seat adapter includes different latches(not the wall-to-wall latches) for removably mounting the seat adapterto the peripheral wall, which is left unfolded, to mount the child seatwithin the wagon (within the boundary of the base-and-wall-definedcontainer). In such embodiments, the adapter/wagon seat-adapter latchescan be provided by hooks, straps, clamps, or other conventionalconnectors, the seat adapter need not include any upright supports, andthe seat adapter still includes the adapter/seat latches for removablymounting the child seat to it. In other embodiments, the seat adapterconnection/latching points can be at the corners, or in the center, ofan end or side of the wagon, whether the base, the peripheral wall(s),or both. In addition, the seat adapter can also be used (as is, or withconventional modifications) for holding storage bags, canopies, andother items in the wagon for general-purpose use.

FIGS. 32-34 show a wagon 2010 and a seat adapter 2160 according to athird example embodiment in use with a child seat 2162. The wagon 2010,seat adapter 2160, and child seat 2162 of this embodiment aresubstantially the same as those of the previous embodiment, with someexceptions primarily those noted. In particular, in this embodiment, theseat adapter 2160 does not include an adapter/seat latch system formounting the child seat 2162 to it. Instead of mounting to the seatadapter 2160, the child seat 2162 mounts to the wagon 2010. For example,the wagon can include latch components 2212 (e.g., the depicted recessedpins in the rear surface of the folded-down rear-seat backrest) that areselectively engaged by existing or specially-added latch components 2214(e.g., the depicted pivot hooks) of the child seat 2162. The depictedlatches are representative for illustration purposes only, and otherconventional latch systems known in the art can be readily incorporatedinto the wagon (and the child seat).

In some embodiments, the wagon is provided with multiple sets of latchcomponents for latching to multiple different styles and brands of childseats. In some embodiments, the wagon (e.g., the base) includes anactuator operably connected to the latch components to move them from alocked position to an unlocked position relative to the latch componentsof the child seat. And in some embodiments, the wagon is providedwithout any latch components for locking the child seat to it, so thechild seat simply rests on the wagon base (e.g., atop the folded downendwall and seatback) and is retained there by being framed between theconnecting member and the bumper. Of course, in some embodiments withoutthe child seat being latched to the wagon or a set adapter, a strap orother retaining element can also be included to help secure the childseat on the wagon.

FIG. 35 shows a wagon 3010 and a seat adapter 3160 according to a fourthexample embodiment in use with a child seat 3162. The wagon 3010, seatadapter 3160, and child seat 3162 of this embodiment are substantiallythe same as those of the previous embodiment, with some exceptionsprimarily those noted. In particular, in this embodiment, the child seat3162 is of a different style but still used with the seat adapter 3160to provide the functionality described herein.

FIGS. 36-38 show a wagon 4010 and a seat adapter 4160 according to afifth example embodiment for use with a child seat (not shown). Thewagon 4010, seat adapter 4160, and child seat of this embodiment aresubstantially the same as those of the previous embodiment, with someexceptions primarily those noted. In this embodiment, the lowerconnections 4210 between the seat-adapter upright supports 4196 and thewagon 4010 are of a different design. In particular, the connections4210 each include a female element (e.g., the depicted socket) 4200 inthe wagon 4010 (typically in the base 4012) that receives a male element(e.g., the depicted extension portion below the base) 4198 of theupright support 4196. The female element 4200 can be positioned in abase floorboard, a base frame member, the rear surface of thefolded-down rear-seat seatback of the base, the top surface of therear-seat seat-pan of the base, a frame member of the folded-down rearsidewall, or elsewhere on the wagon 4010. The male and female elements4198 and 4200 can include a retaining mechanism 4214 such as a detent ora VALCO button that helps hold it in place but that does not require anadditional action to separate them when removing the seat adapter 4160.

FIGS. 39-41 show a wagon 5010 and a seat adapter 5160 according to asixth example embodiment for use with a child seat (not shown). Thewagon 5010, seat adapter 5160, and child seat of this embodiment aresubstantially the same as those of the previous embodiment, with someexceptions primarily those noted. In this embodiment, the lowerconnections 5210 between the seat-adapter upright supports 5196 and thewagon 5010 are essentially reversed (vice versa) from those of the fifthembodiment. In particular, the connections 5210 each include a maleelement (e.g., the depicted post) 5200 on the wagon 5010 (typicallyextending upward from the base 5012) that is received by a male element(e.g., the depicted bore of the lower portion) 5198 of the uprightsupport 5196. The male element 5200 can be positioned on a basefloorboard, a base frame member, the rear surface of the folded-downrear-seat seatback of the base, the top surface of the rear-seatseat-pan of the base, a frame member of the folded-down rear sidewall,or elsewhere on the wagon 5010. The female and male elements 5198 and5200 can include a retaining mechanism 5214 such as a detent or asnap-finger that helps hold it in place but that does not require anadditional action to separate them when removing the seat adapter 5160.

FIGS. 42-43 show a wagon 6010 and a seat adapter 6160 according to aseventh example embodiment in use with a child seat (not shown). Thewagon 6010, seat adapter 6160, and child seat of this embodiment aresubstantially the same as those of the previous embodiment, with someexceptions primarily those noted. In particular, in this embodiment, thelower connections 6210 between the seat-adapter upright supports 6196and the wagon 6010 are of a different design. In particular, theconnections 6210 each include a clamp element (e.g., the depictedC-shaped snap-on clip) 6198 of the upright support 6196 that snap-clipsonto a base frame 6022 of the wagon 6010. The clamp elements 6198 caninclude a retaining mechanism such as a set screw or clasp to help holdit on the wagon 6010.

FIG. 44 shows a wagon 7010 according to an eighth example embodiment inuse with a child seat 7162, without a seat adapter. The wagon 7010 andchild seat 7162 of this embodiment are substantially the same as thoseof the previous embodiment, with some exceptions primarily those noted.In particular, in this embodiment, the child seat 7162 is a strollerseat that mounts directly to the wagon 7010, without the need for a seatadapter. The child seat 7162 mounts directly to the wagon 7010, insteadof indirectly to the wagon via a seat adapter, so the child seatfunctions as the structural element in place of the displaced endwall tomaintain the structural integrity of the wagon 7010 (instead of a seatadapter doing so, as described above). Thus, the child seat 7162 and thewagon 7010 include at least one latch system for mutual attachment. Forexample, the child seat 7162 and the wagon 7010 can include an upperseat-to-wagon latch system 7170 (for attachment of the child seat to theadjacent walls of the wagon) having cooperating latch components of thesame or a similar type as the adapter-to-wagon latch system 1170 of theembodiment of FIGS. 22-31. Additionally (or alternatively), the childseat 7162 and the wagon 7010 can include a lower seat-to-wagon latchsystem (for attachment of the child seat to the base of the wagon)having cooperating latch components of the same or a similar type as theseat-to-wagon latch system of the embodiment of FIGS. 32-34 or as theadapter-to-wagon connections of FIGS. 24-25 and 36-43. It will beunderstood by persons of ordinary skill in the art that other latchsystems and positions thereof can be implemented to provide thefunctionality described herein. The stroller seat 7162 can be mounted inplace facing outward (e.g., rearward) as depicted, which can enablepositioning the seat as low as possible for stability (with the leg-restextending below the wagon base), or in other embodiments it can bemounted facing inward (e.g., forward).

In some embodiments (such as those without the lower latch system, orwith it but when it's not engaged), the child seat 7162 can pivot abouta pivot point defined by the upper latch system 7120 to provide arecline feature (as indicated by the angular directional arrow). And insome such embodiments, there can additionally be provided stops and/orfixed-position elements for securing the child seat in multiplepositions (e.g., upright and reclined).

FIG. 45 shows a wagon 8010 and a seat adapter 8160 according to a ninthexample embodiment in use with a child seat 8162. The wagon 8010, seatadapter 8160, and child seat 8162 of this embodiment are substantiallythe same as those of the previous embodiments, with some exceptionsprimarily those noted. In particular, in this embodiment, the child seat8162 is an infant carrier seat that attaches to a support base (notshown) of a car-seat system for carrying a child safely and securely ina motor vehicle. The child seat 8162 rests upon the seat adapter 8160,with peripheral seat portions supported by outer and inner spacedtransverse members (e.g., the outer connecting member and the innerbumper forming a closed loop), and with the central seat portionsextending downward through the space formed between the outer and innermembers. Instead of a latch system holding the child seat 8162 in place,it can be snapped, strapped, tied, or otherwise secured by conventionalfasteners to the seat adapter 8160 and/or the wagon 8010.

FIG. 46 shows a wagon 9010 according to a tenth example embodiment inuse with a portable carrier 9162. The wagon 9010 and portable carrier9162 of this embodiment are substantially the same as the wagon andchild seat of the previous embodiments, with some exceptions primarilythose noted. In particular, in this embodiment, the portable carrier ismounted to the wagon where the displaced wall was for increasing theeffective storage capacity of the wagon (by providing storage spacebeyond where the disclosed wall was). So the portable carrier includeslatch components that engage the wall latch components of the adjacentwalls. And the portable carrier functions as the structural element inplace of the displaced endwall to maintain the structural integrity ofthe wagon 9010 (instead of an adapter doing so, as described above). Theportable carrier can be a basket, bin, box, or other container forholding cargo, and in some embodiments can even be used to carry achild. As used herein, the term “portable carrier” is intended to bebroadly construed to include child seats such as those described herein.

FIGS. 47-50 show a seat adapter 10160, according to an eleventh exampleembodiment, for mounting a child seat 10162 to a wagon 10010. The seatadapter 10160, wagon 10010, and child seat 10162 of this embodiment aresubstantially the same as those of some of the previous embodiments, forexample the second example embodiment, with some exceptions primarilythose noted. As such, the wagon 10010 has a base 10022 and an upstandingwall arrangement, for example including two opposing upright walls(e.g., sidewalls 10014) and a displaceable (e.g., pivotal) upright wall(e.g., rear wall 10016) positioned between and connecting the opposingwalls. And the child seat 10162 can be an infant carrier seat (ISC), acar seat, a stroller seat, a combination thereof, or another type seatfor a child.

In particular, in this embodiment, the seat adapter 10160 includes anadapter/wagon latch system 10170 for mounting the seat adapter to thewagon 10010 at other than the displaceable wall 10016, for example toopposing walls of the wagon. As depicted, the adapter/wagon latch system10170 includes two latch components 10172 that removably mount the seatadapter 10160 to the wagon's two opposing sidewalls 10014 in theirupright/use position. In other embodiments, the seat adapter is designedto mount to opposing end walls (e.g., front and rear), with theinterconnecting displaceable wall being a left or right sidewall.

The adapter/wagon latch components 10172 are manipulable (at least onepart moves relative to another part) between locked and unlockedpositions, with the latches secured to the wagon 10010 in the lockedposition (depicted) and released for detachment from the wagon in theunlocked position. One or more actuators 10174 are operable tomanipulate the latch components 10172 between the locked and unlockedpositions. In the depicted embodiment, the latch components 10172 areclamps of a conventional design that releasably engage the frame members10032 (e.g., the upper frame members 10036) of the wagon sidewalls10014. In other embodiments, the latch components are of another typesuch as linearly moving plungers, pivotal hooks, straps, or otherconventional connectors, that mount to the depicted wallelements/portions or to other portions or types of wagon walls such asbelow the wall tops (e.g., on their inside or outside surfaces),solid/frameless plastic or metal walls, or otherwise. And in thedepicted embodiment, the actuators 10174 include spring-biasedcam-shaped clamp arms, with two actuators provided (one for eachrespective latch component 10172). In other embodiments, the actuatorsare of another type such as rotary, sliding, pushbutton, pull/trigger,or other conventional actuators that operate to manipulate the latchcomponents 10172, with one gang-operated actuator or with respectiveactuators provided for the two latch components. In addition, theadapter of some embodiments includes two latch components that mount tothe two opposing wagon walls and a cross-member extending between theadapter latch components that provides structural integrity to thewagon, such as when the rear wall is displaced from its upright useposition.

In addition, the depicted seat adapter 10160 includes an adapter/seatlatch system 10180 having two latch components 10182 that removablyattach the seat adapter 10160 to the corresponding latch components10164 of the child seat 10162 and that extend from or are attached tothe two adapter/wagon latch components 10172. The adapter/seat latchcomponents 10182 are manipulable between locked and unlocked positions,with the latches secured to the child seat 10162 in the locked position(depicted) and released for detachment from the child seat in theunlocked position. One or more actuators 10184 are operable tomanipulate the latch components 10182 between the locked and unlockedpositions. In the depicted embodiment, the child-seat latch components10164 are of a conventional design determined by the child seatmanufacturer, and the seat-adapter latch components 1182 are of aconventional design selected for mating with the child-seat latchcomponents (and thus typically conform to the design of the mating latchof the product the child seat is designed to be mounted to and usedwith). In other embodiments, the latch components are reversed with theactuator on the child seat and the adapter/seat latch component beingpassive. Details of such child seat latch components (e.g., catch-pins)10164, and designs of mating latch components (e.g., pivotal hooks)10182 and their actuators (e.g., spring-biased pushbuttons) 10184, arewell-known in the art and thus not repeated for brevity's sake.

Furthermore, the seat adapters 10160 can include features that providefor use with multiple different designs (e.g., type, manufacturer, ormodel) of child seats 10162. For example, the seat adapters 10160 caninclude latch interfaces (e.g., sets of two) 10171 that removably mountbetween the adapter/wagon latch components 10172 and the seat latchcomponents 10164. Such latch interfaces 10171 each include (e.g., on oneend) the adapter/seat latch component 10182, each having a differentdesign selected for removably attaching to a different design of theseat latch component 10164 of the particular child seat 10162 to beused. And such latch interfaces 10171 each include (e.g., on the otherend) a common coupling part 10169 that removably mounts to a cooperatingcoupling part 10173 of the adapter/wagon latch component 10172, suchthat the latch interfaces are universal in their ability to beinterchangeably mounted to the seat adapter 10160. In this way, the seatadapter 10160 can be packaged and sold with a plurality of differentlatch interfaces 10171, each having a same/standard design of thecoupling part 10169 and a different design of the adapter/seat latchcomponent 10182 to enable use of the seat adapter with a number ofdifferent designs of child seats 10162.

Furthermore, the seat adapter 10160 includes a connecting orcross-member 10190 extending between the adapter/wagon latch components10172. The cross-member 10190 extends transversely all the way acrossthe wagon 10010 and is made of a structural load-bearing material (e.g.,steel tube) and configured to function as a structural element. In thisway, if the connecting wall 10016 is displaced from its upright useposition, and thus no longer able to function as a structural memberbraced between the two adjacent upright walls 10014, the cross-member10190 of the seat adapter 10160 substitutes for the displaced wall toprovide structural integrity to the wagon 10010 (i.e., to maintain thestructural shape and strength of the wagon) for safety during use.

In typical embodiments such as that depicted, the cross-member 10190extends from a lower side of the adapter/wagon latch components 10172downward into and across the wagon 10010 to provide clearance for thechild seat 10162 to be mounted above it. In addition, the cross-member10190 can have obstruction elements 10191 extending from it, for examplethe two depicted downward-extending arms, to sufficiently block off thearea bounded by the cross-member, the wagon base 10022, and the wagonsidewalls 10014 in order to meet safety requirements. In particular, thedepicted obstruction elements 10191 are configured for compliance withASTM F833-15 (Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification forCarriages and Strollers), Section 6.10, which essentially requires thatthe torso probe (3 inches×5.5 inches) shall not pass through an opening,and if it does, then an 8-inch ball shall also pass through the opening(intended to prevent children from sliding only part-way out andstrangulating themselves). A sheet of material (e.g., fabric or plastic)can be mounted to or extend from the obstruction elements 10191, ifdesired. In some embodiments, this blocking functionality is provided atleast in part by the cross-member having a larger vertical dimension(being taller/thicker), extending downward more into the wagon 10010(closer to the base 10022), and/or having a non-linear shape (e.g.,zigzagged), by another number or shaped of the obstruction elements10191 being provided, or by a combination thereof.

As in previous embodiments, the seat adapter 10160 can be mounted to thewagon 10010 with a wall segment (e.g., 10016) displaced (e.g., foldeddown) from its upright use position, thereby enabling the child seat10162 to be mounted (via the adapter) to the wagon in a low-profile andstable arrangement (with the child-seat bottom below the wagonsidewalls' tops) and/or with the child seat in an outboard arrangement(occupying at least some of the space vacated by the displaced wall andthus extending laterally at least partially out of the wagon, includingthe slightly outboard position depicted for this particular child seat)to minimize occupied space in the wagon. Thus, there is no mechanicalinterference between any part of the wagon 10010 (including thedisplaced wall 10016) and any part of the seat adapter 10160 or thechild seat 10162 mounted to it. When using the seat adapter 10160 forsome smaller child seats 10162 (e.g., for an infant instead of atoddler), however, the adapter can be mounted to the wagon 10010 andused with the child seat without displacing a wall (see FIG. 48). Insuch scenarios, two seat adapters 10160 can be mounted to the same wagon10010 for carrying two child seats 10162.

FIGS. 51-53 show a seat adapter 11160, according to a twelfth exampleembodiment, for mounting a child seat 11162 to a wagon 11010. The seatadapter 11160, wagon 11010, and child seat 11162 of this embodiment aresubstantially the same as in the eleventh embodiment, with someexceptions primarily those noted. In particular, in this embodiment, theseat adapter 11160 includes vertical extension members 11193 positionedand extending between each of the adapter/wagon latch components 11172and the adapter/seat latch components 11182. The vertical extensionmembers 11193 are configured with a length (i.e., vertical dimensionbetween the latch components 11172 and 11182) selected to position theadapter/seat latch components, and thus the child seat 11162, in anelevated position. In particular, the length of the vertical extensionmembers 11193 positions the child seat 11162 higher than thedisplaceable connecting wall 11016, such that this wall does not need tobe displaced from its upright use position in order to mount the childseat 11162 to the wagon 11010, as depicted. Thus, there is no mechanicalinterference between any part of the wagon 11010 (including the uprightwall 10016) and any part of the seat adapter 11160 or the child seat11162 mounted to it. And the seat adapter 11160 can be mounted to thewagon 11010 in a relatively rearward position for mounting the childseat in an outboard position (including the slightly outboard positiondepicted for this particular child seat) or in a relatively forwardposition for mounting the child seat in an inboard position (completelyforward of the rear wall). Of course, in such embodiments the seatadapter 11160 can be mounted to the wagon 11010 with the connecting wall11016 upright or displaced, including use with wagons having all fixedwalls (i.e., without a displaceable wall).

For any of the embodiments of the invention, with either direct orindirect (including a seat adapter) seat mounting, the wagon can have abase and a folding endwall, with the endwall doubling as the backrest ofa built-in seat. In other embodiments, the wagon has no sidewall, onlythe folding endwall(s), and the child seat or seat adapter mounts onlyto the wagon base, without latching to any sidewall latches. And in yetother embodiments, the wagon sidewalls are fixed and only the endwallsfold down.

In other aspects, the invention relates to a wagon that is adapted foruse with a seat adapter, a seat adapter that is adapted for use with awagon, and a child seat that is adapted for use with a wagon and/or aseat adapter. The wagon, seat adapter, and child seat can be of the typeof any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

And in other aspects, the invention relates to a method of seating achild in a wagon. The method includes the steps of displacing a wall ofthe wagon and then installing in its place a child seat mounted to thewagon either directly or indirectly using a seat adapter. The step ofdisplacing the wall can include pivotally folding the wall down to astorage position against a base of the wagon in a generally horizontalorientation, detaching and removing the wall from the base, or otherwisemoving the wall from its use position (where it helps form the wagoncontainer) and out of the way vacating that space so that the child seatcan be positioned in its place. The step of installing the child seat inplace of the displaced wall can include mounting the seat adapter to thewagon, for example using the same wall latches that the displaced wallwas latched to, and mounting the child seat to the seat adapter (or tothe wagon, or to both the seat adapter and the wagon). And the step ofinstalling the child seat in place of the displaced wall can includemounting the child seat directly to the wagon, without using any seatadapter. The wagon, seat adapter, and child seat used in the method canbe of the type of any of the embodiments disclosed herein, variationsthereof including conventional modifications known to persons ofordinary skill in the art, or other designs have equivalent structuresfor enabling the functionality disclosed herein.

It is to be understood that the various features described herein can becombined in various ways to form various embodiments not specificallydetailed herein but still contemplated by the inventors. As such, thisinvention expressly includes each individual feature disclosed herein aswell as every combination of those features.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that this invention is not limitedto the specific devices, methods, conditions, and/or parameters of theexample embodiments described and/or shown herein, and that theterminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments by way of example only. Thus, the terminology is intended tobe broadly construed and is not intended to be unnecessarily limiting ofthe claimed invention. For example, as used in the specificationincluding the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include the plural, the term “or” means “and/or,” and reference to aparticular numerical value includes at least that particular value,unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, any methodsdescribed herein are not intended to be limited to the sequence of stepsdescribed but can be carried out in other sequences, unless expresslystated otherwise herein.

While the claimed invention has been shown and described in exampleforms, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that manymodifications, additions, and deletions can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by thefollowing claims.

1.-20. (canceled)
 21. A seat adapter for mounting a child seat to awagon, the seat adapter comprising: a first adapter-to-wagon componentconfigured to removably couple to the wagon; a second adapter-to-wagoncomponent configured to removably couple to the wagon; a firstadapter-to-seat component configured to removably couple to the childseat for securing the child seat to the wagon; and a secondadapter-to-seat component configured to removably couple to the childseat for securing the child seat to the wagon wherein the firstadapter-to-seat component and the second adapter-to-seat component arefixedly positioned relative to one another.
 22. The seat adapter ofclaim 21, further comprising a first vertical extension member coupledto the first adapter-to-seat component for positioning the child seatabove a top edge of a side of the wagon when the child seat is mountedto the wagon.
 23. The seat adapter of claim 22, further comprising asecond vertical extension member coupled to the second adapter-to-seatcomponent for positioning the child seat above the top edge of the sideof the wagon when the child seat is mounted to the wagon.
 24. The seatadapter of claim 22, wherein the first vertical extension member extendsbetween the first adapter-to-wagon component and the firstadapter-to-seat component.
 25. The seat adapter of claim 21, wherein thefirst adapter-to-wagon component is configured to removably couple to afirst wall of the wagon, and wherein the second adapter-to-wagoncomponent is configured to removably couple to a second wall of thewagon.
 26. The seat adapter of claim 21, wherein the firstadapter-to-wagon component is configured to removably couple to a frameof the wagon, and wherein the second adapter-to-wagon component isconfigured to removably couple to the frame of the wagon.
 27. The seatadapter of claim 23, wherein the first vertical extension member extendsfrom the first adapter-to-seat component, and wherein the secondvertical extension member extends from the second adapter-to-seatcomponent.
 28. The seat adapter of claim 21, wherein the firstadapter-to-seat component is at least one of a rod or a latch component.29. The seat adapter of claim 28, wherein the first adapter-to-seatcomponent is a rod that is sized and shaped to be received within arecess on the child seat.
 30. The seat adapter of claim 21, furthercomprising an actuator for actuating the first adapter-to-wagoncomponent between a locked and an unlocked position relative to thewagon.
 31. The seat adapter of claim 21, wherein the firstadapter-to-wagon component includes a mating feature that releasablycouples to a corresponding mating feature on the wagon.
 32. The seatadapter of claim 21, wherein the first adapter-to-wagon component is alatch component configured to removably couple to a wall of the wagon.33. A system comprising: a wagon and a seat adapter for coupling a childseat to the wagon, the wagon further comprising: a handle; a frame; abase and at least one wall for defining a container of the wagon; theseat adapter further comprising: a first adapter-to-wagon componentconfigured to removably couple to the wagon; a second adapter-to-wagoncomponent configured to removably couple to the wagon; a firstadapter-to-seat component configured to removably couple to the childseat for securing the child seat to the wagon; and
 34. The system ofclaim 33, further comprising a second adapter-to-seat componentconfigured to removably couple to the child seat for securing the childseat to the wagon.
 35. The system of claim 33, wherein the seat adapterfurther comprises a first vertical extension member extending from thefirst adapter-to-seat component for positioning the child seat above atop edge of the at least one wall of the wagon when the child seat iscoupled to the seat adapter.
 36. The system of claim 33, wherein thefirst adapter-to-wagon component is a mating feature configured toremovably couple to a corresponding mating feature on the wagon.
 37. Thesystem of claim 36, wherein the corresponding mating feature ispositioned on the at least one wall of the wagon.
 38. The system ofclaim 33, wherein the first adapter-to-wagon component is configured toremovably couple to at least one of the frame of the wagon or the handleof the wagon.
 39. The system of claim 33, the wagon further comprisingan actuator for actuating the first adapter-to-wagon component between alocked and an unlocked position relative to the wagon.
 40. The system ofclaim 33, the seat adapter further comprising an actuator for actuatingthe first adapter-to-wagon component between a locked and an unlockedposition relative to the wagon.